Microsoft reportedly laying off more than 6,000 employees today

Microsoft is reportedly laying off more than 6,000 people today. According to sources familiar with the matter, the announcement is expected to arrive early Thursday. The US technology company is expected to shed thousands of Nokia employees that recently joined Microsoft to work under the company’s new mobile division, Microsoft Mobile.

As we previously reported, this will be the biggest layoff in Microsoft’s history, surpassing the 5,800 employees that lost their jobs back in 2009. The restructuring and changes come almost 6 months after the appointment of Satya Nadella as the CEO, and a week after Nadella’s memo that hinted at upcoming ‘big changes’ in the company.

The memo suggested that the CEO wants a shift in priorities from being a primarily software-focused company to one that excels at selling products and making people and businesses more productive. Last week, Nadella redefined Microsoft as “the productivity and platform company for the mobile-first and cloud-first world.”

Having acquired the mobile and devices arm of Nokia last year, the company pledged to make $600 million in annual savings after 18 months of the completion of the deal. So far what we have heard is that over 1,000 people from the Nokia unit, and some from the Xbox game and entertainment side will lose their jobs.